Celebration Journal
The Periodic Newsletter of Rising Hope United Methodist Mission Church
Reflections of the Pastor
“CHARITY IN THE FACE OF POVERTY”
These are difficult and uncertain times. Nowhere in
Northern Virginia is this more evident than at Rising
Hope. At the beginning of 2008, our food pantry was
serving an average of 160 needy families every week.
Today we are serving on average of 350 families a week.
To put this in more stark terms, nearly 1400 low-income
people survive every week, in part, because of the food
that Rising Hope makes available to the community.
Many in our low-income community have lost their jobs
as businesses are scaling back on their employees in an
effort to cut costs. As many as 50 people are regularly
joining us for our daily noon prayer service. As our numbers grow, so does the frequency of prayer for ‗work‘.
Allen is a trained butcher who has joined us in prayer
from time to time. He speaks eloquently of the difficulty
of holding down a job while being homeless. The lack of
affordable housing for low-wage workers in our community is a sin. This difficulty is compounded because today there are fewer jobs available to the low-income
community.
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, is clear that in
the face of poverty there is a great need for charity. The
Bible uses charity as a synonym for ―love.‖ Wesley
feared that most people would reduce charity‘s meaning
from caring, sacrificial love to acts of mere almsgiving.
Wesley is clear that aiding the poor means making them
more capable to fulfill their God-given gifts; it does not
mean making them dependant. At the same time it is
very difficult to fulfill one‘s God-given gifts, let alone
make it to work refreshed and clean, when the only place
you have to sleep is riding around on a bus all night.
Giving money to charities that help the poor can be a
means of extending God‘s Grace to those in need. Almsgiving is one factor in releasing the poor from poverty,
but it must be coupled with addressing all the dimensions
of poverty — economic, political, cultural, physical, and
spiritual. This means, of course, that the systems causing
impoverished conditions must be changed. But it also
means that disciples of Christ must be intimately related
to the poor so that the poor can be fully brought into lifegiving community.
Spring 2009
Rising Hope is a place of hope not only because the alms
given to us support our Ministries of Mercy to the poor.
Rising Hope is a place of hope because we are creating a
community where everyone‘s God-given gifts (poor and
middle-class alike) are being developed to further God‘s
Kingdom on earth. I invite you to come and see for
yourself.
Your brother in Christ,
Keary Kincannon
Lenten Season — An Opportunity
Caryll Whipple, Fund Development & Stewardship Committee
Jesus answered, "The most important [commandment] is,
'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you
shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all
your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'
The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."
Mark 12:29-31 (ESV)
As readers of this journal, you know Rising Hope as part of
God‘s ministry to the least, the lost, the lonely, and the left-out
along the Route One Corridor in Alexandria. During my participation in this ministry over the past ten or so years, listening to the testimonies of and watching the Spirit work in the
lives of those reached and helped by Rising Hope has been
both a thrilling and a humbling experience. In this time when
we, together with people around the world, face new and unprecedented challenges, our opportunities to reach out in
Christian love and put our faith into action are even more significant.
Each year the Lenten Season affords us opportunity to pause
and consider our Christian walk. Using the famous words
from Richard of Chichester‘s prayer, how are we seeking ―to
know Jesus Christ more clearly, to love him more dearly, and
to follow him more nearly‖?
You will not be surprised to know that Rising Hope is receiving ever-increasing requests for both physical and spiritual
assistance. Your prayers, your gifts, and your service always
make a wonderful difference, and now more than ever, they are
very much appreciated.
V.O.I.C.E. is Being Heard
(Virginians Organized for Interfaith
Community Engagement)
Rising Hope members distribute flyers and pray for
the people and needs of the surrounding neighborhood
Rising Hope Partners with
International Ministry for Children
Samaritan‘s Feet is once again coming to Rising Hope to
hand out new shoes to the children of our church and
neighborhood. The goal is to reach 500 children up to the
age of 18 through the Rising Hope event.
This year‘s events will begin at the Lincoln Memorial on
Saturday, April 4, 2009, at 8 AM. Anyone who wishes to
participate may walk with Manny Ohonme, founder of
Samaritan‘s Feet. He will walk from the Lincoln Memorial to Paramount Baptist Church where the first distribution will be held. This church is in Southeast DC in a very
needy neighborhood. Volunteers are still needed for that
event which is from 10 AM - 5 PM.
On Sunday, April 5, Christian recording artist Damien
Horne will be performing a free concert at City Church,
4100 River Road NW at 5 PM. Transportation will be
provided from Rising Hope for those who call the church
office at 703-360-1976.
On Monday, April 6, from 10 AM - 5 PM, Rising Hope
will be the distribution site. Again, shoes will be handed
out to children through age 18. If you would like to volunteer, please contact LuAnn Mudrak at 703-360-1976 or
[email protected]. We are especially in need of
nurses, face painters, clowns, balloon artists, etc. There
are also other volunteer positions like foot washers, runners, stockroom, Bible club, or outside support. Training
for volunteers is scheduled for Thursday, April 2.
On March 8, 2009, 25 members of
Rising Hope participated in a
VOICE Action with Fairfax County Chairman Sharon Bulova and
Supervisor Catherine Hudgins.
They made a public commitment
to not cut the One Penny Fund for
Affordable Housing in the 2010
County Budget; to fund Fairfax‘s Sam Mudrak, Rising Hope liaison to
share of adding a dentist to the V.O.I.C.E. , at March Action meeting
Northern Virginia Dental Clinic; and to provide an accounting of where and how English as a Second Language funds are being spent in the County.
Margaret Davis, a frequent participant in Rising Hope‘s
ministries and a resident of the Hypothermia Shelter hosted by Rising Hope, gave a heart felt plea to the supervisors to not cut housing or human service programs. She
explained that she had just had major surgery, had no job,
and as a result was homeless. Without the support of the
County and Rising Hope, Margaret said she would have
no hope of survival.
Rev. Keary Kincannon reminded the Supervisors that
every budget is a moral document that reflects our values.
He then challenged the crowd of 300, representing 15
Fairfax congregations, to let the supervisors know that we
value the least among us as much as God does. If budget
revenues are kept at levels at least equal to last year‘s revenues it should be possible to prevent cuts to housing and
human service programs.
The 15 congregations present then made a public commitment to generate over 4,700 post cards urging the Supervisors to support the Penny for Affordable Housing Fund
and the additional dentist for the Northern Virginia Dental
Clinic. Sam Mudrak, Rising Hope liaison to V.O.I.C.E.,
led our delegation in pledging 300 of those post cards.
Prayer walks are scheduled for the neighborhoods around
Rising Hope. They will be held on March 21 (1:30-4:30
pm), March 28 (1:30-4:30pm), March 29 (2:30-4:30pm),
and April 4 (1:30-4:30 pm). We need your participation.
Sign-up at the church for the day you can come and hand
out flyers and pray in our neighborhoods for the people
who will receive new shoes.
If you can‘t volunteer, consider making a contribution of
a new pair of tennis shoes (youth sizes especially) or donating by check to Samaritan‘s Feet, designated DC
event. A donation of $20 can provide 5 pairs of shoes
from Fila.
.
Board of Supervisors Chairman,
Sharon Bulova, speaks to
V.O.I.C.E. delegation
Supervisors Penny Gross and Gerry Hyland were unable to be present at this meeting, but they sent
letters supporting all the concerns
raised by VOICE. In addition Gerry Hyland indicated his support
that 30% of the affordable housing
units being considered for North
Hill be created as rental housing
for people whose income is 30%
or lower than the Area Median
Income. This issue has been of
prime importance to Rev. Kincannon and the members of Rising
Hope who stand to benefit.
One Rising Hope Recipient Says
Thank You for All
“Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
…….. You are truly angels and I am sincerely
honored to have been a recipient of your generosity and thoughtfulness through the Angel
Project. My joy is great.
Membership in Rising Hope United Methodist Mission
Church has given me many blessings that I did not anticipate, and the gifts from the Angels were one of them.
Your selections were fabulous and right on according to
our requests. The power of Christ that rested upon you.
God will never let you go, and you made me feel significant at this time of year. You are faithful and filled with
Christ and will be blessed a thousand fold.
Economically, the latter part of this year posed an unanticipated hardship and gifts to my family would have been
a luxury I could not afford. They too praise God for your
love. His love is forever faithful and you contributed to a
new spirit within all of us. THANK YOU.
Yours in Christ, Doris Woods”
This was the way one of the recipients of gifts and food
and blessings from Rising Hope expressed her gratitude
in a letter to us. It is just one example of the multiple
expressions of appreciation voiced by many. Thanks to
all of you who make these ministries so successful..
Dates to Note
Samaritan’s Feet Shoe Distribution
and Celebration Service
Monday, April 6, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
VIC-HOP Volunteer Recognition
Sunday, April 19, 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Nathan Tasker Benefit Concert - Wesley UMC
Thursday, April 30, 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
USPS/NALC Food Drive
Saturday, May 9, 3:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Welcome Home Celebration and Update to Donors
Sunday, May 31, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Family Fun Fair
Saturday, June 13, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Camp Rising Hope
Monday, July 20 – Thursday, July 23
Vacation Bible School
Monday, August 17 – Friday, August 21
School Supply Distribution
Tuesday, September 1 – Thursday, September 3
Silent and Live Auction
Saturday, November 7, 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Staff Spotlight
Stephanie Simmons
Coordinator of Children’s Ministries
Not all of us are called to be an ordained minister, but all of us are called
to do God‘s work in this world. Some
of us come to this realization late in life.
Some lucky few realize early on that
they are part of God‘s plan. Stephanie
Simmons is one of those lucky ones.
Stephanie grew up in Pennsylvania. Early on she felt
called to minister to the least, the lost, and the lonely of
God‘s people. At one point she even started her own charity to help those in need.
When she moved to Virginia she would drive by the Rising Hope building wondering what was inside. She
looked Rising Hope up on the website, then came for a
visit. She walked through the doors and felt at home. At
last she had found a church in Virginia that not only ministered to the souls of its members, but ministered to their
hearts and minds and all their physical needs. ―It‘s a
blessing to be part of Rising Hope‖ Stephanie said.
Stephanie has been with Rising Hope for over three years
in various staff and volunteer capacities. She has worked
in administration, shared her skills as part of the music
department, been a worship leader, as well as taught in
the children‘s Sunday school. Now she is pleased to be
the Coordinator of Children‘s Ministries, a position she
has held for the last few months. Stephanie is a shining
example of the joy we feel when we answer God‘s call.
Fun for All - 6th Annual Family Fun Fair
The Family Fun Fair will be held this year on Saturday,
June 13, from 10 am - 2 pm here at Rising Hope. We are
focusing on reaching out to the community along the
Route 1 Corridor. We are excited about the opportunity to
welcome new families to the ministries at Rising Hope. Free food and prizes will be given
out. There will be games for children, special
gifts to win, and musical entertainment to stir
the soul and enliven the neighborhood.
We are in need of many volunteers for this day of
―community celebration‖. Tasks include preparing and serving food, monitoring games, helping
with crafts, setting up, cleaning up, and signing up
children for our many summer and fall programs.
It is our hope that you can join us for the day and take part
in the festivities. If you can assist by volunteering or donating items needed, please contact Stephanie Simmons,
Coordinator of Children‘s Ministries, by calling her at
Rising Hope at ext. 4 or [email protected].
Volunteer Spotlight
Sheila Finley
Several years ago Sheila left her home
in New York and moved to Virginia to
help take care of some family members.
But leaving her life-long home in NY
left her feeling lonely and disconnected
from any sense of community. She use
to travel back to New York every other weekend.
Then about a year ago she started volunteering in the Rising Hope food pantry. Sheila had come in as a constituent, but soon realized that the pantry needed more volunteers. Sheila says that she really enjoys her work and
loves all the people she meets at Rising Hope. ―Pastor
Keary is a down-home person who shows love to everyone.‖ she raves. She hasn‘t been back to New York since
she started volunteering.
On Sunday, March 8, 2009, Sheila officially joined Rising Hope Church. It was her birthday that Sunday. ―I love
to give,‖ says Sheila. So she decided to give to her new
church family by cooking a big chicken dinner with all
the trimmings in celebration of her birthday. All of her
children, grandchildren, and one great grandchild were on
hand to help her celebrate along with the nearly 70 attendees in her new Rising Hope family that Sunday.
Sheila has certainly demonstrated that in giving we receive. In showing God‘s love and acceptance to others,
we feel that love returned and know we belong.
Nathan Tasker Benefit Concert
Thursday evening, April 30, Rising Hope
will be blessed with a benefit concert by
Christian music artist Nathan Tasker. This
event will be held at 7: 00 p.m at Wesley
United Methodist Church, just a half mile from Rising
Hope, at 8412 Richmond Avenue .
Tasker is an Australian native with a passion for ministry.
Admission to the concert will be a bag of non-perishable
foods for Rising Hope‘s food pantry, Milk and Honey
Ministry. A love offering to benefit Rising Hope will also
be taken. No tickets required.
You Too Can Volunteer
Volunteer needs in Rising Hope ministries at the present
time are the following:
□ Participants in Prayer Walks to distribute
flyers about Easter Celebration services
□ Workers at Samaritan‘s Feet event
Monday, April 6, 9:00 am - 6:00 pm for
many differenet tasks
□Food pick-up, sorting, and stocking for
NALC/USPS food drive on Saturday, May
9, 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm
□Drivers to pick up food at local stores or
deliver to homebound adults on Wednesdays
□ Cooks, craft teachers, game monitors, clowns, face
painters, registrars, etc. for Family Fun Fair on Saturday,
June 13, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
□ Teachers and aides for the Children‘s Sunday School
held 9:00 -10:30 am on Sundays
□ Receptionists Tuesday-Friday from 9:30 am-4:00 pm
(full day or half day shift, as available)
□ Greeters at front door to direct constituents to appropriate ministries Tuesday-Friday
□ Resource aides to listen to needs of constituents, assist
with referrals to special services, and research local
resources available
□ Cooks to prepare and serve food for
weekday lunches Tuesdays - Fridays
To volunteer in the above positions, please
contact Deborah Lloyd Allers, Administrative Secretary, at 703-360-1976 ext 8 or e
-mail at [email protected].
Plans Aplenty
Lots of special events
are being planned for
the next several
months to benefit Rising Hope‘s ministries.
Underway at the present time are planning
meetings for these future programs:
~ Major Donors Celebration and Update - late spring
~ Jeff Majors Benefit Concert - early-mid summer
~ Silent and Live Auction - early November
Watch for future details on all these events.
Celebration Journal is a communications tool of Rising Hope. We send out Celebration Journal on a regular basis.
Your support and assistance is critical. Without your support many on the Route One Corridor will not know the love
and power of God to change lives. Many thanks to those who provided articles and pictures for their contributions to
this newsletter.
Rising Hope United Methodist Mission Church
Reflections of the Pastor
8220 Russell Road, Alexandria, VA 22309
e -mail: [email protected]
“JOHN WESLEY AND THE POOR”
Telephone: 703-360-1976
www.risinghopeumc.org
Fax:
703-360-0976
Thanks to a very generous scholarship, I began Doctor of Ministry studies at Wesley Theological Seminary in January. I am
pursuing a track of study on ―John Wesley and the Poor.‖ I had long known Mr. Wesley was a devoutly pious man whose con-